chickenpox, should I avoid

[Niftymum88]

I’m 6 weeks pregnant and My friends just told me her child has chicken pox.
i can avoid seeing the child but I go to the gym with my friend.
should I avoid her or will I be safe?

Have you had chicken pox yourself? If not definitely stay away.

If you have had it, I would have thought gym with the friend is fine as long as friend has had chicken pox.

If she has had chickenpox in the past then she wont have it to pass on to you. Have you had chickenpox? If so, its unlikely you'd catch it anyway

yeah I had chicken pox when I was 10.
im just really anxious because we lost in January and I don’t want to put this pregnancy at risk at all if I can help it

My 2 children had chicken pox when I was 38 weeks pg with my 3rd! Obviously I couldn’t avoid them so checked with a midwife and she said as long as I’d had it, all would be fine and thankfully it was.

There’s no risk to you or your baby as long as you’ve had it yourself in the past. And, for what it’s worth, if your friend has had it in the past herself then she wouldn’t be able to transmit it to you from her child.

I’m in Ireland but they check you for chicken pox immunity here at the 12 week appointment. I would imagine they do it most places. Ring and ask your hospital. 9/10 if you had chickenpox you are immune.

If you are not immune they will give you never strong advice to avoid.

@Gealach they dont check for chickenpox or rubella immunity routinely in the UK

You can catch chicken pox more then once please don’t listen to advice telling you otherwise. Being pregnant suppresses your immune system as it has a baby to protect so just stay away for now

I asked my midwife if I could go to a relatives funeral when pregnant as someone else had shingles. As long as I had antibodies there was no reason for me to miss the funeral with the actual infected person.

There's no reason at all she can't go to the gym with the infected person's mother if she's well and has had it before also.

I would stay 2m away from the friend at the gym

Chicken pox is an air borne illness. Although OP has nothing to fear if she is immune.

Aw I see. It’s routine at 12 weeks here.

Tricky one then. It’s rare not to have immunity after infection but it is possible. Has your friend had chickenpox? If she has and you have it really would be unlikely.

She’s told me she’s had it before and the little en on had 10 spots so far

It’s rare though. And in this case it would have to happen twice - OP’s friend would have to catch it for a second time, and spread it to OP to catch for a second time.

Plus the incubation period is 1-3 weeks. If this child has only just come down with it, then OP’s friend would be unlikely to spread it yet anyway, even if she did catch it for a second time, which is already unlikely.